Qhubeka bring a new dimension for Cavendish
THE four statues at the heart of the V&A Waterfront’s iconic Nobel Square are usually the centre of attention but, for a few minutes yesterday, all eyes were directed elsewhere.
Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka – Africa’s only UCI World Tour team – unveiled their kit for the 2017 season at the popular tourist destination.
The team is in the Mother City on a week-long training camp, but will also make promotional appearances and fulfil the charity aspect that is part of their make-up since formation.
Qhubeka, an Nguni word meaning “to progress”, is a non-government organisation linked to the team, who aim to change lives by donating bicycles to the underprivileged across Africa.
Yesterday, Qhubeka donated several bikes to underprivileged children in Kylemore and launched a new, 200-square metre bicycle assembly plant at the Paarl farm of team sponsors, Nederburg Wines.
Although the initiative is unlikely to earn anyone a statue next to the likenesses of Nobel Laureates Albert Luthuli, Desmond Tutu, FW de Klerk and Nelson Mandela, it’s one that Dimension Data sprinter Mark Cavendish definitely believes to be noble.
“I was here last year to do one of the bike handovers and saw that the team is about more than just winning. It’s about raising awareness for an incredible cause and charity. It really brings a new dimension to bike riding. It really makes you believe,” he said.
“When you’re doing it for something bigger than just going out to win, it really brings a whole new dimension to it and the good results kind of come from that.”
“Good results” have not been in short supply for either Cavendish or his team, despite their relative youth.
Formed as Team MTN in 2007, Dimension Data have only been competing internationally in premier races since 2015. They have won eight Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana stages, several team and individual honours in Grand Tour and Classics racing, and other titles in UCI competition.
Doug Ryder, who founded the team and is now its principal, says that while the long-term goal is just to win as much as possible, next year’s targets are the Milan-San Remo and the Paris-Roubaix.
“We will focus on winning a classic. We missed out on that a few times this year, with Edvald Boasson Hagen going fifth in the Paris-Roubaix,” he said. “The special one for Mark, Edvald and our group of Classics riders are the Milan-San Remo and the Paris-Roubaix. Those are the two standout ones that we really want to do something significant in.”
Ryder added that the team’s goals is to see one of their African riders on a podium or in the top-10 of one of the world’s biggest races.